Bopanna ousted in first round of ATP Challenger

Nov 28:   India's challenge ends in the singles event of ATP challenger

India’s top-ranked player Rohan Bopanna got a major setback when he went down 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 against second-seeded Russia’s Igor Kunitsyn in the first round of the $50,000 ONGC ATP Challenger tournament here at the DLTA courts on Tuesday.

After clinching the first set with consummate ease, the lanky Bopanna squandered as many as three match points on his own service in the second set before finally losing out the match.

India's top player Bopanna, who was hoping make it to the Australian Open qualifiers by earning crucial ATP points through this event now have to wait for the next week’s $50,000 SAIL $50,000 ATP Challenger.

With this defeat the Indian challenge came to an end in the singles of $50,000 hardcourt event as Harsh Mankad and Karan Rastogi had also lost their opening round encounters earlier in the day. Other Indian challengers Tushar Liberhan, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Sunil Kumar Sipaeya and Navdeep Singh had lost on Monday.

Bopanna did everything right to win the match but faltered at the doorstep of victory. After capturing the first set and leading 5-4 in the second, the Davis Cupper lost the battle in the midway.

Later in the day Bopanna, amending his previous mistakes began his doubles campaign in style alongwith Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. The duo comprehensively defeated the pair of Stephen Amritraj and Cecil Mamit (Phi) 6-2, 6-4.

FIRST ROUND (RESULTS)

Singles: Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (Pak) bt Ivan Sergeyev (Ukr) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Rik de Voest (Rsa) bt Kamil Capkovic (Svk) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(9); Adrian Cruciat (Rou) bt Tomas Cakl (Cze) 6-4, 7-5; Xin-Yuan Yu (Chn) bt Franko Skugor (Cro) 6-4, 6-7(1), 7-6(5); Martin Slanar (Aut) bt Joshua Goodall (Gbr) 6-3, 7-6(6); Wesley Moodie (Rsa) bt Karan Rastogi 6-3, 6-3; Alberto Francis (USA) bt Harsh Mankad 7-5, 6-2; Igor Kunitsyn (Rus) bt Rohan Bopanna 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Doubles: de Voest & Moodie bt Divij Sharan & Navdeep Singh 6-4, 7-6(3); Cakl & Ivo Minar (Cze) bt Purav Raja & Sunil Kumar Sipaeya 4-6, 6-4, 10-5; Pavel Chekhov (Rus) & Michail Elgin (Rus) bt Goodall & Frank Moser (Ger) 6-3, 7-5; Benjamin Balleret (Mon) & Sebastien de Chaunac (Fra) bt Capkovic and Dekel Valtzer (Isr) 6-3, 6-4; Patrick Briaud (USA) & Mustafa Ghouse 6-1, 6-4; Cruciat & Adrian Menendez (Esp) bt Vijay Kannan & Vivek Shokeen 6-2, 6-3; Bopanna & Qureshi bt Stephen Amritraj & Cecil Mamit (Phi) 6-2, 6-4.